'Can't believe it.'

Chris Pawley was holidaying with his partner Corey Lorde in the Spanish city when a van ploughed into pedestrians on the famed Las Ramblas walkaway killing 13 people on Thursday. A fourteenth victim died early on Friday after a similar incident in Cambrils.

Speaking from Barcelona, Pawley told the Manchester Evening News: “We were in the area after the incident. We have just come back to the hotel, as we were caught up in the arena attack – can’t believe it.

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Chris Pawley and his partner Cory Lorde were holidaying in the Spanish capital when the attack occurred

“There was police everywhere and ambulances, the shops started putting the shutters down.”

Writing on Facebook, he said: “Just to let everyone know me and Corey are OK, getting a lot of messages. It’s crazy here, the shops have put all their shutters down and the army is out but hope everyone is OK who’s been injured!”

Of the attack in Manchester in May in which 22 people lost their lives, Pawley recalled he had just exited the arena when the bomb went off. He added: “We were so, so lucky. So lucky we managed to escape unhurt.”

PASCAL GUYOT via Getty Images
Tributes left for the victims of the rampage